my dad owned some carpet stores in southern california when i grew up, and the economy went up, and the economy went down, and his business went up, and his business went down. but the truth is, these days, no one has to be dictated by your own local economy. you can do business all over by being online. and there are so many more tools available that allow you to run your business. so, my dad ran his business by himself. if he didn't know something, he didn't know something. today what would you do? you would go online. you would go to a score counselor, you would find some help. it really is an amazing time. i don't mean to sound pollyannaish, but to me this is an amazing time to be in business. > > what's the most popular question you get from small business owners? > > i guess the question i get most often has to do with social media. "how do we make it pay off for our small business?" because the thing is, people can spend too much time on social media, or, on the other hand, not use it at all. and what i tell people is, follow your customers. if they're on facebook, then you need